Small States in the Modern World

Small States in the Modern World comprehensively assesses the different modes of adaptation by small states in response to the security and economic vulnerabilities posed by global change. It uses a diverse collection of case studies to explore the complexities of change and to place them in their temporal and geographical context. Issues covered include: international security and economic vulnerability; small states in international organizations, including the European Union; Quebec and Scotland as autonomous nations but not independent states; different modes of adaptation including market liberalism, social concertation and the management of natural resources. These contributions from renowned authors show that small states need external shelter and internal buffers in order to cope with vulnerability. Although many of the responses are path-dependent, driven by historical legacies, there is scope to choose.--